Pakistan plummets to No 9 in ICC ODI ranking with lowest points tally since 2001

Dubai: Pakistan’s hopes of automatic qualification to the ICC World Cup toughened, as they plummeted to their lowest-ever rating of 86 after losing the five-match ODI series 1-4 against England. Despite the four-wicket consolation win in the fifth and final one-dayer on Saturday, Pakistan are in serious danger of failing to qualify automatically for the World Cup 2019 as they are now eight points behind eighth-ranked West Indies. Pakistan had started the series on 87 points and this is their lowest-ever points tally since the current rankings system was introduced in 2001. [caption id=“attachment_2990952” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Pakistan’s ODI woes have come even as the Test team has risen to the top of the ICC rankings. AP[/caption] With Pakistan’s forthcoming ODI series being against the West Indies and Australia, it has left itself with a mountain to climb to keep alive its chances of qualifying automatically for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. Meanwhile, Australia and England have consolidated their positions atop the ICC ODI team rankings after completing identical 4-1 series victories over their respective oppositions. Australia, who scored a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final match in Pallekele, moved from 123 to 124 points, and in doing so, opened up an 11-point advantage over New Zealand. They will now aim to reclaim the ICC Champions Trophy title to add to a World Cup trophy, when it is staged next year in the United Kingdom. Sri Lanka stays at sixth position, but has dropped a point to finish on 101 points. Sri Lanka’s one-point drop will interest seventh-placed Bangladesh, which is now just three points behind its Asian rival and has two upcoming three-match ODI series, each against Afghanistan and England coming up. If Bangladesh wins all three matches against Afghanistan, plus manages a series win against England, then it will achieve its highest-ever ranking of sixth. Meanwhile, England, which will attempt to win its maiden 50-over ICC title when it hosts next year’s Champions Trophy, has sent out a warning to the other sides after its impressive series win against Pakistan. The series result against Pakistan has seen England move from 106 points to 107 points in fifth position, three behind India and South Africa, who are at 110 points each, with India ranked ahead of South Africa on decimal points. England and the seven highest-ranked sides on the ODI team rankings as of 30 September, 2017, will qualify directly for the ICC’s pinnacle 50-over tournament, while the remaining two sides will progress from the 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in 2018.